The First Plate
by Writer-and-Artist27
Summary: A look into what made a certain Archer question everything, and why Saber supports a civilian girl in her endeavors, no matter how workaholic they were. [Prequel to A Girl and An Archer]


A scene that takes place before _A Girl and An Archer_, a character introspective into how Archer started questioning things, and something I've been seeing in my head past all the studying for finals week. Not to mention, something I've been debating for _Healing Over Time_, even though I still need to write the third chapter.

Anywho, here you go. The theme this time is Lucas King's original piano composition titled "Eevee." Please enjoy.

* * *

How did I end up here again?

Right. Another Servant showing up and needing to bring him into the usual reign of things. And essentially watching Mama take control of employment tests.

"So, Archer, you get the gist, right?" Mama's kimono sleeves were rolled up to her elbows in that "judge"-like manner as she put her hands on her hips. "To live here, you got to do your part! So if you're as good of a cook as you say you are—"

"Then I should prove myself, Hikari, I understand. There's no need to repeat yourself." Archer sighed while tying the ribbon of his apron behind his back. "Will omurice be fine?"

"_Ooooooh,_ that's a good choice." I didn't even have to look over at her to know she was holding back the urge to drool. "Yes! Go at it! All the ingredients are at your disposal! Tomoko-chan will be the final verdict!"

"Mamaaaaaa…"

Mama simply winked and pulled me in by the shoulders to plant a quick and soft kiss atop my head. "He's your friend, sweetie. Just let me have my fun."

"Muu." There was no way I could fight that. Mama laughed softly and let me go anyways to stride forward and glance over Archer.

Archer himself simply sighed again before grabbing a saucepan, apparently adept at handling Mama's full attention already. "Roger that."

Still, the single beat of sweat rolling down the back of my neck was nothing to laugh at. My thoughts immediately called out for someone close by. _Um, Saber…?_

The Knight's response was immediate and comforting, even when she wasn't physically in the kitchen. _Yes? What is it, Tomoko? _

_Should I be worried about Archer? I mean, it's _Mama _he's dealing with and it's only his first day here… _

There was a pause. Then a hand landed on my shoulder from behind, and I held back a squeak to turn around. Saber's green eyes were comforting to stare into, and she smiled. When did she get there? Or was she just that good of Servant to nearly teleport? _Don't worry. Archer's quite capable. I know he is._

_If you say so… _I reached up to squeeze her hand anyways. Then the thought left me before I could think on it. _Could I ask for a hug after this? _

Saber was already giving me an incredulous face before breaking out into a warm smile. The mental response quickly followed as she bowed her head towards me. _Of course, milady._

Welp, there went the coolness of my cheeks. They were flooded with heat in all but less than a minute, no thanks to the Knight standing behind me. It took all I had to not _verbally _squeak it out in courtesy of the environment and the Servant currently _cooking _for his employment. _Saaaaaaaber, you don't have to call me that… _

_Heheh. I find it's fitting, milady. _She raised her head to meet my eyes, squeezing my hand in return before letting go. _I'll go back out to supervise the tables. Feel free to judge Archer's cooking as much as you can._

Wait a second. _Saber? _

Mid-step back out into the cafe area, Saber paused. She gently turned her head back towards me with a questioning eyebrow. _Yes, Tomoko?_

_How did you know I was going to be the one judging Archer's cooking? _

To my surprise, she smirked. _You project your emotions quite a bit, milady. Just like your mother._ Her smirk turned back to that soft smile as she winked. _Please, relax and do not fret. On my honor as a Knight, I can guarantee Archer is capable. Simply watch and wait. Have faith. _

I took a breath. In another time, she probably would've sounded like a Nobody I once had. I probably shouldn't have been surprised that the extra thought process occurred to me just when the mind link was going to close. …_Saber? _

She had already left the kitchen by the time I called for her, but the reply was still immediate. _Yes? _

I took a breath. _Thank you. For saying all that. And um. Saber?_

_Hm? _

There were only three words I could think of that felt adequate. _I love you._

This time, I was greeted with silence over the link. All I could parse from said silence was surprise and pure unadulterated shock on the other end before there was what I could only call a mental cough. _O-Oh. I see, _was all she said before it was followed by a very long pause, and I absently watched Archer gracefully conduct himself around the kitchen in an attempt to keep the anxiety away.

The only word for this situation was, _Oops._

I probably should've said something, _anything _to follow up and possibly fix the stray emotional ends that just showed up, but to be honest, laying out your heart did so much to someone. Even if I was familiar with doing it on a daily basis.

Even if what I said was and _felt _real, I had a feeling I said that specific thing far too soon.

…_I-I'm sorry for dropping something that heavy on you, that's just how I feel, Saber. You've done a lot, for both me and the cafe, and I'm just glad you're here. So, um, don't take what I said too badly, okay?_

This time, I could hear a sigh. _I am not taking it badly. Simply… in surprise, Master. Perhaps "in stride," as you say? _Her using "Master" though, said otherwise. I decided not to bring it up in exchange for listening. _No one has ever really said that to me before. Not directly like that. Like you. _

…_Is that a bad thing? I can stop saying it if you want, Saber. _I left out my last thought of, "Do I need to give another hug?" It didn't feel right to ask.

_I do not mind the warm feeling in my heart, Tomoko, I merely ask that you reserve such words for when we are alone. _

_Eh? _Where did that come from? _O-Oh_, I said slowly instead. Now it felt like I was missing something. But there was no point in bringing up already spilled milk, so I confirmed it with a small, _Okay. _

A feeling of what felt like soft amusement passed through the link. _Focus on your judging work, Tomoko. I can join you later. _

_Go do your best out there, Saber. _

I expected the pride-filled, _Of course_, back. Thank goodness. Saber was still okay.

But. There was another pause though, that felt out of left-field. The silence seemed to imply Saber was thinking, before one last statement was said. It was so quiet and almost uncharacteristically affectionate, I barely heard it if not for it being a part of the telepathic link between just the two of us. _Thank you for loving me, milady. _

_Eh? Saber—? _

The link was quietly cut off before I could finish.

"It's done." Archer's voice, and I looked up only to smell something slightly oily mixed with egg. And, ketchup? "Master."

"Archer…?"

The taller man simply rolled his eyes once I looked up at him, and the large plate of _fluffy _omurice sitting on his right hand said enough. "You are the judge, aren't you? What are you doing staring out into space?" He offered the plate to me anyways, and I found myself gulping from how _mouthwatering _the food looked. "Your order of omurice is ready and I await your judgement."

Mama was already eagerly mouthing, "_Try it," _over Archer's shoulder. "_He's so close to passing!" _Hell, her eyes were sparkling with, "_Just give me the word, sweetheart!"_ Of course, Mama. Of _course_.

I inhaled as much oxygen as I could before nodding. "I-I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. So, um, Archer? You did grab a spoon, right—"

The metal utensil was already in my line of sight as Archer turned his head away. "What do you take me for?"

"…A very capable person that I apologize for accidentally offending?"

A pause this time. Archer huffed softly through his nose. "You are quite the strange person, Master. But go ahead and eat. You risk the food going cold."

"A-Aye." With nothing else to offer, I took the spoon and gently cut through the omelet. "Itadaikimasu."

* * *

Archer wasn't expecting much from his new Master. The girl was far too inexperienced, far too honest and naive. It was like the best parts of Sakura merged with Rin's inexperience, all multiplied by ten. He couldn't help but wonder _how _Tomoko summoned him. Or, perhaps the better question would be _how _she had survived in the world for so long. Even if _this_ world lacked modern technology and military firearms, which honestly was welcome after everything in Fuyuki, it was still filled with bloodshed and strife with ninja at its center. The simple fact that his new Master's only friends _were _ninja themselves proved that point. But she was still here. Still smiling, still open with her heart and emotions.

From mannerisms alone, she could've been likened to a child who learned nothing.

Her entire visage, from the long black hair billowing past her waist, the soft white-pink kimono dress, and the bright blue eyes — it all screamed civilian, but her mannerisms suggested a wisdom beyond that. Why else would Saber have taken such a shining towards her? Before this, before all of this, Saber only really opened up to—

Archer shook his head and crossed his arms to focus.

That hair ribbon, though. In another place, it would've been fine on another long-haired girl he once knew. In another time, too far away to remember completely.

The illusion broke as soon as Tomoko took a tiny bite of the omurice in front of her. A second was all it took for her eyes to go wide and sparkles to shine in the blue hues, and she looked up at him once she finished chewing. "Archer," she murmured happily, "this is _delicious_."

The brightness of her eyes made Archer look away immediately, the poker face already setting in as a defense mechanism. "I'm glad that you like it, Master."

"Like it? Archer…" Tomoko sounded like she was _pouting_, and Archer kept his face turned away so he wouldn't have to look. "I _love _it! The gentle taste of the egg enveloping the rice, the way the ketchup mixes with the chicken and mushrooms, you did amazing!"

_That_ was not what he was expecting.

"I see," he allowed himself a small smile once Hikari ran out of his shadow to join her daughter. Even after so many years of fighting, he could still cook. "Should I take that as my sign that I passed your test?"

Hikari was beaming at him as much as her daughter's eyes were sparkling as they both nodded. "Yes! You pass! Welcome to Nagareboshi Cafe, Archer!" It did not take long for Hikari to take a spoon of her own and try the omurice herself. "_Mmmm,_ you're definitely a good cook. This _is _delicious." There was a pause before Hikari muttered, "I need to up my game cooking at home now," around her newest mouthful.

Archer covered his mouth with his hand to hide the smile.

There was no mistaking the large _GROWL _noise that followed. Archer already knew through the prana being supplied to him that it wasn't his Master.

Hikari blushed, shrinking in a way that almost made her look like a schoolgirl in hesitance, in spite of her age and greying hair. "Welp. Uh. Whoops."

Tomoko smiled, a happy pink on her face as she turned to offer her mother the plate. "You can have the rest, Mama. You're hungry, so go ahead."

"Eh? Are you sure, Tomoko-chan?"

"I'm sure." Tomoko spoke as if it was an obvious choice, and once the plate was taken off her hands, Archer could hear the sound of footsteps approaching. Tiny compared to him, but still recognizable because of the geta sandals. "Archer?"

He didn't fully turn around, but gave her a soft nod of his head as a form of acknowledgement. "What is it?" Archer was expecting some kind of verbal saying, and so was already thinking of something sarcastic in response. After all, in the old world, Rin probably would have given him a cheeky remark. But here?

Tomoko simply hugged him from behind. It took every single bit of his instinct and free will to not throw her off, only freezing as the sensation of a warm body colliding with his settled into his nerves. Arms had wound around his waist, and he could feel the girl squeeze him gently as a cheek pressed against the back of his shoulder blades. He glanced down to look at the hands resting on the front of his stomach before he heard her voice. "Thank you," was the soft and high-pitched murmur into his shirt. "The omurice really was delicious. You did a really good job, Archer. Welcome to the cafe."

Before he could respond, Tomoko had already let go, and he turned around to take in the new shade of pink that covered her face. "W-Well, uh, I'm sorry for surprising you with the hug, you just did a good job, so I thought a hug was the best way to thank you…" Tomoko pressed her index fingers together as she fidgeted. "I-I mean, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, just let me know if you need anything, so, um, I'llbegoingnow!"

And with that high-pitched embarrassed ramble out of the way, Tomoko ran out of the kitchen and disappeared past the swinging doors.

Archer opened his mouth and found himself exhaling the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "That was…"

"Ah," Hikari said for the first time in that entire moment, and Archer froze. "You just bore witness to my daughter's hugging spree."

"Hugging… spree?" Archer repeated.

Hikari simply smiled at him past the spoonful of omurice in her mouth. "Tomoko-chan likes you, so she hugged you. Simple as that." Once she swallowed the bit of food in her mouth, the lady laughed proudly. "You'll have to get used to that if you're going to live here, Archer! She's quite the sweet lady when you get to know her." A soft inhale followed before she quietly added, "There's a reason everyone around her doesn't fight."

"…Ah," he said, still feeling strange. Out of all the time he had been present in the world, fighting or not, when was the last time someone hugged him like that…?

Out of some kind of feeling, he took a few steps forward towards the doors Tomoko left through. The entire time, he could feel Hikari's eyes on his back, and he hesitated once his hand landed on the nearest doorknob. "Hikari."

"You can go, Archer." The woman's voice turned more serious and understanding. "If you need to follow my daughter to know why she does things the way she does, go after her." There was a softer, lighter laugh accentuating the words. "Hint hint! Saber might be of help to you!"

He didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

Saber held back a sigh once he made his presence clear at her right side. To distract herself, she reached for the pen nestled in her ponytail. "What is it, Archer?"

"Don't play it off like it's nothing, Saber," the remark was as scathing as ever, and Saber kept her eyes closed. The previous table's order was still in her head, she just had to write it down before this started. Thank goodness there was a notepad in her apron pocket. "Why that girl? Why does she act the way she does?"

"Why is Tomoko so different from Shirou and Rin, you mean?" she said coolly, passively taking note of how he tensed. Of course. Even after their fight had ended, he still held onto pain. "I don't fully know myself, even after being with her longer than you. This world is different from the Fuyuki you and I both know."

"Then," Archer sounded almost desperate in his voice, more emotional than the time he had even fought Shirou, "Why do you support her? _Why_ do you stay with her? You and I both know that with the way her heart is leading her, she will only find suffering!"

It would've been true. Saber still remembered the times he chewed out Shirou, back in Fuyuki. That being a Hero of Justice was meaningless. That such an ideal led to destruction. But this was different.

Tomoko was different. She wasn't Shirou. Similar roots, yes, but vastly different decisions and outcomes.

Her Shirou had Rin.

Tomoko? She had many people, long before Saber even came to her.

At the thought of the other side, Saber shook her head. "She won't. I know this."

For the first time this entire day, Saber could feel Archer be shocked into silence from the close distance. "How?"

"It is not a definite conclusion, but she has gone through more than you think she has, Archer." Saber opened her eyes to give him a single glance. It didn't take long to pull out the notepad she was thinking of, jotting down "mochi and strawberry shortcake" on the newest sheet of paper all the while. "Her family are a few of many who _will_ bring her back from the brink." Archer had yet to meet _Kei_, and that was something Saber could take a bit of delight in. "And she does not aim to be a hero like Shirou. She knows she can't save everyone, but she is kind nonetheless. She still _lives_ and acknowledges reality nonetheless."

A single thought rang through her head, and Saber felt a small smile play at her lips as she recalled the words from before.

_Saber? I love you. _

Shirou never said something like that. Not even _Guinevere_ said that, to the very end.

"Tomoko aims to help without fighting. Without putting herself into reckless danger, because this time, she knows her loved ones would protest. And although it may be naive, her ideal, it is comforting." Saber nodded to herself before pocketing the notepad again. "She aims to understand people through words and song rather than swords, and in a world like this, where no one else recognizes such a thing, it's a blessing." She took a few steps forward towards that piano, where Tomoko was playing another song. "She's reached out more than anyone else has."

_To me_, was left unsaid.

"Saber."

The music was merely a backdrop to the shocked stare piercing her back, but Saber brushed away the wrinkles in the apron around her waist before turning around to stare into Archer's eyes. "You may stick around all that you wish, Archer. Tomoko did summon you, and she does see something in you. But I do vow this." Things may have changed, the Holy Grail War may have been over for a long time, but Saber still had her doubts. "If you _ever _aim to hurt Tomoko in any way, you _will_ be at the opposing end of my sword again. She is someone precious to me."

Archer's eyes widened and his mouth opened as if to say something, but Saber turned around to walk away nonetheless. She said her part.

Tomoko was looking up at her again. She must've finished the song in the time it took for the conversation to finish.

"Saber…?" Her voice was still that same high-pitch from the mental link, blue eyes questioning. "Did something happen between you and Archer?"

Saber felt a softer smile form on her lips as she shook her head, walking over to take a seat on the piano bench next to the girl. "It's nothing for you to be worried about, Tomoko."

"If you're sure…" Tomoko's voice was still high-pitched with honesty. Even with the soft pink coloring her cheeks, she still made eye-contact. "Still… Are _you_ okay, Saber?"

That same question. Saber smiled again before leaning in. "Don't worry, Milady." Out of some kind of emotion, she found herself pressing a soft kiss to Tomoko's forehead. Strangely, she found herself not regretting it. The fact that Saber could see those blue eyes focused on just _her_ was enough of a reward. "With you here, I'll be fine." It was the truth. And it was easy to hide her surprised delight at the bright red replacing the previous pink on Tomoko's face.

"S-Saaaaaaaaaber." Tomoko lurched back, hands covering her forehead. "Wh-what, that was — ehhhh?"

_Aw_, was the first thought that graced Saber's mind. Tomoko's voice cracked. Instead of voicing _that_, Saber outwardly smiled and brushed the girl's hand with hers. "Don't change, Master. Stay that way for a while. Red is a suitable color for you."

Even if she deserved it, she tried not to roll her eyes once Tomoko grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her comedically. "Saaaaaaaaber! Stop with the Master thing!"

"Pft."

This was surprisingly fun.

Archer just needed to see it for himself. Happiness could be open to him too. He just had to accept it as a possible reality.


End file.
